1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic member and a fixing apparatus for use in an electrophotographic apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a fixing apparatus for use in an electrophotographic system such as a laser printer or a copier has a fixing member for heating an unfixed toner image on a recording material, and a pressurizing member disposed opposite to the fixing member. Then, the recording material, on which the unfixed toner image is formed, is introduced to a fixing nip formed by the fixing member and the pressurizing member, and the unfixed toner is heated, to thereby allow a toner image to be fixed on the recording material.
An electrophotographic member here used for the fixing member and the pressurizing member is generally a member having a roller shape or a belt shape. In addition, a representative configuration of such an electrophotographic member is a configuration having a cylindrical or columnar substrate, an elastic layer formed on the substrate and a surface layer formed on the elastic layer.
The surface layer is for suppressing the attachment of a toner, a paper dust or the like onto the surface of the electrophotographic member. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2010-143118 discloses, as the method for forming the electrophotographic member having such a configuration, a method for covering the periphery of an elastic layer formed on the periphery of a substrate with a fluororesin tube.
The electrophotographic member formed using the fluororesin tube here has the following problem: cracking is easily caused on the surface of the fluororesin tube in the direction along with the longitudinal direction of the electrophotographic member.